1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a disk player, and more particularly to a disk player including a pickup unit which is moved by a linear motor.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In a conventional disk player, the pickup unit is moved in the radial direction of a disk by a linear motor. The disk player is provided with a mechanism for locking the pickup unit in the non-playback state such as the transportation of the disk player, to prevent unexpected movement which can result in collisions with the motor yoke or the like. Such collisions can result in damage to the pickup unit. Such a disk player is disclosed in the Japanese Utility Model Application (OPI) No. 80562/85 (the term "OPI" as used herein means an "unexamined published application"). In the locking mechanism, a tooth provided on the pickup unit is engaged with a rack which is turned toward or away from the pickup unit by an actuator. During disk playback, the actuator must be continually energized in order to maintain the unlocked state of the locking mechanism. As a result, the consumption of electric power and the rise in temperature within the disk player are high.
In order for the locking mechanism to be capable of functioning over the entire range of linear movement of the pickup unit, it is necessary for the length of the rack to be large, particularly for a disk of 30 cm in diameter. This in turn results in an increase in the driving force of the actuator, thus further increasing the consumption of power and the rise in temperature in the disk player.